Exposure apparatus to correct position between reticle and substrate according to propagation time and shifting rate

Abstract

A scanning exposure apparatus projects a pattern of an original onto a substrate via a projection optical system and shifts the original and the substrate in synchronization with each other with respect to an optical axis of the projection optical system so as to transfer the pattern of the original to the substrate by exposure. The scanning exposure apparatus includes a unit configured to correct a relative position between the original and the substrate by a correction amount according to a shifting rate at which the original and the substrate are shifted in synchronization with each other.

1. A scanning exposure apparatus that projects a pattern of an original onto a substrate via a projection optical system and shifts the original and the substrate in synchronization with each other with respect to an optical axis of the projection optical system so as to transfer the pattern of the original to the substrate by exposure, the scanning exposure apparatus comprising:
 a unit configured to obtain a correction amount according to a rate at which the original and the substrate are shifted in synchronization with each other, for each rate of the original and the substrate, the correction amount for correcting a displacement between the original and the substrate that occurs due to the substrate being shifted at a predetermined rate during a propagation time of light between a pattern surface of the original and an exposed surface on the substrate, and to correct the displacement by controlling of the original or the substrate based on the obtained correction amount when the original and the substrate are shifted in synchronization with each other, wherein the correction amount is determined by multiplying the propagation time of the light by the shifting rate of the substrate. 
 
     
     
       2. The scanning exposure apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the correction amount is proportional to the propagation time of the light. 
     
     
       3. The scanning exposure apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the displacement is corrected with respect to a target position of the original or the substrate. 
     
     
       4. The scanning exposure apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the displacement is corrected with respect to a preliminarily determined first shift profile for a scanning exposure process, and a second shift profile for an actual exposure process is generated as a result of the correction. 
     
     
       5. The scanning exposure apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the displacement is corrected in real time in accordance with the shifting rate at each instant in the course of a scanning exposure process. 
     
     
       6. An exposure apparatus that projects a pattern of an original onto a substrate via a projection optical system and shifts the original and the substrate in synchronization with each other with respect to an optical axis of the projection optical system so as to transfer the pattern of the original to the substrate by exposure, the exposure apparatus comprising:
 an alignment optical system configured to perform alignment measurement between the original and the substrate while the original and the substrate are shifted in synchronization with each other; and 
 a unit configured to obtain a correction amount according to a shifting rate at which the original and the substrate are shifted in synchronization with each other, for each rate of the original and the substrate, the correction amount for correcting a measurement error that occurs due to the substrate being shifted at a predetermined rate during a propagation time of alignment measurement light between the original and the substrate, and to correct a value measured by the alignment measurement based on the obtained correction amount when the alignment measurement between the original and the substrate is being performed by the alignment optical system via the projection optical system, wherein the correction amount is determined by multiplying the propagation time of the light by the shifting rate of the substrate. 
 
     
     
       7. An exposure method for projecting a pattern of an original onto a substrate via a projection optical system and shifting the original and the substrate in synchronization with each other with respect to an optical axis of the projection optical system so as to transfer the pattern of the original to the substrate by exposure, the method comprising:
 obtaining a correction amount according to a rate at which the original and the substrate are shifted in synchronization with each other, for each rate of the original and the substrate, the correction amount for correcting a displacement between the original and the substrate that occurs due to the substrate being shifted at a predetermined rate during a propagation time of light between a pattern surface of the original and an exposed surface on the substrate; and 
 correcting the displacement by controlling shifting of the original or the substrate based on the obtained correction amount when the original and the substrate are shifted in synchronization with each other, wherein the correction amount is determined by multiplying the propagation time of the light by the shifting rate of the substrate. 
 
     
     
       8. An exposure method for projecting a pattern of an original onto a substrate via a projection optical system and shifting the original and the substrate in synchronization with each other with respect to an optical axis of the projection optical system so as to transfer the pattern of the original to the substrate by exposure, the method comprising:
 performing an alignment measurement between the original and the substrate while the original and the substrate are shifted in synchronization with each other; and 
 obtaining a correction amount according to a shifting rate at which the original and the substrate are shifted in synchronization with each other, for each rate of the original and the substrate, the correction amount for correcting a measurement error that occurs due to the substrate being shifted at a predetermined rate during a propagation time of alignment measurement light between the original and the substrate; and 
 correcting a value measured by the alignment measurement based on the obtained correction amount when the alignment measurement between the original and the substrate is being performed by the alignment optical system via the projection optical system, wherein the correction amount is determined by multiplying the propagation time of the light by the shifting rate of the substrate. 
 
     
     
       9. A device manufacturing method utilizing a scanning exposure apparatus that projects a pattern of an original onto a substrate via a projection optical system and shifts the original and the substrate in synchronization with each other with respect to an optical axis of the projection optical system so as to transfer the pattern of the original to the substrate by exposure, the scanning exposure apparatus including a unit configured to obtain a correction amount according to a rate at which the original and the substrate are shifted in synchronization with each other, for each rate of the original and the substrate, the correction amount for correcting a displacement between the original and the substrate that occurs due to the substrate being shifted at a predetermined rate during a propagation time of light between a pattern surface of the original and an exposed surface on the substrate, and to correct the displacement by controlling shifting of the original or the substrate based on the obtained correction amount when the original and the substrate are shifted in synchronization with each other, the method comprising:
 performing exposure on a substrate using the scanning exposure apparatus, 
 wherein the correction amount is determined by multiplying the propagation time of the light by the shifting rate of the substrate. 
 
     
     
       10. A device manufacturing method utilizing an exposure apparatus that projects a pattern of an original onto a substrate via a projection optical system and shifts the original and the substrate in synchronization with each other with respect to an optical axis of the projection optical system so as to transfer the pattern of the original to the substrate by exposure, the exposure apparatus including an alignment optical system configured to perform alignment measurement between the original and the substrate while the original and the substrate are shifted in synchronization with each other; and a unit configured to obtain a correction amount according to a shifting rate at which the original and the substrate are shifted in synchronization with each other, for each rate of the original and the substrate, the correction amount for correcting a measurement error that occurs due to the substrate being shifted at a predetermined rate during a propagation time of alignment measurement light between the original and the substrate, and to correct a value measured by the alignment measurement based on the obtained correction amount when the alignment measurement between the original and the substrate is being performed by the alignment optical system via the projection optical system, the method comprising:
 performing exposure on a substrate using the exposure apparatus, 
 wherein the correction amount is determined by multiplying the propagation time of the light by the shifting rate of the substrate.